Philippines Travel Stories, Page 21

The Third World Always Makes MoneyI have been fascinated for years with the economics of the Third World; I will use this phrase as opposed to the Under-developed countries. I think is accurately describes two economic social groups within underdeveloped countries.

---------------------------------Manila, Ermita PhilippinesWednesday, July 30, 2008Blog of Andy HoboTraveler.com --- --- Backpack Design Survey----------------------------------There are always two social groups inside the under-developed countries like the Philippines. There is the average under-developed average Joe Group who really just wants to earn a just amount of money for their services or products. Then there is the Third World group in transition to becoming First World.

What is hilarious to me is you can trust the lower rungs of economic groups and the upper levels; however, the middle level the Third World group always makes money. It is about the money, not about the people.

1. Under-developed business group - Small 2-5 employees, more or less just your average worker in any country. Honest, easy to deal with, helps not greedy, sublimated profits and a desire to get a just amount of money from their work, no more, no less.

2. Third World business economic group - 5-11 employees Greedy, always makes money on first try, no sublimated profits, become very good at selling, marketing and convincing everyone they are honest, forthright and a good company. However, normally working on semi-corrupt deals, whereby there is always a sweetheart under the table situation that helps them produce, or they are paid more than a just amount, therefore are happy to produce, because over-paid. Employees are normally paid less than the minimum wages for the country. This minimum wage thing is more or less a joke anyway, nothing to do with reality. There is more a subsistence wage policy in effect, gives a person a job, however does not allow the worker to thrive or have mobility. Most workers at this level have no real skills of value, which would enable them to change jobs.

3. First World business groups - Above 11 employees.This groups views the buyer as their life-blood, they also know they must keep their employees happy. Everyone both the buyers of the product and services and the employees of the First World companies are happy with their jobs. At this level, there can be rapid growth for the companies because the contracts keep piling up, and their list of happy customers and employees grows. There is a final stage though in a business where nobody remembers the core founders, loses interest, and reverts down to Third World mentality until the business either implodes or is purchased.

I am trying to make and manufacture backpacks here in the Philippines, I am always hoping the Third World mentality will disappear, I am always and optimist, hoping to with a firm persistence to find the number 1 Under-developed business group and help them to transition into a First World group, they only thing that stops them is the inability to sublimate.

Animals must jump in line to eat or be eaten; it is a primitive emotional status. The Third World group makes money on every move; they never lose money or invest money in the future, they only invest when needed, not when it would help the growth of their business.

The normal people of a most countries are happy to just make money honestly, however have trouble in the dog eat dog world as they grow, if they can pass on through the Third World phase, without becoming greedy or dishonest they can become a First World Business.

I am fascinated with this developing proposition or theory. The Third World business ventures normally sabotage their success, more or less cutting the hamstring of business development for the country.

Honesty is the best policy.

The Third World Business is like an excepionally beutiful girl, they use their looks to succed, but in the end, the become old and ugly, because they fail to see that beauty is just skin deep.

Bangkok Traffic JamsI believe over 20 years ago Bangkok probably had a huge problem with Traffic Jams. I continually watch television shows, or read about the problems with traffic in Bangkok. This is just hangover opinions from 20 years ago, today the management of traffic in Bangkok and Thailand is great.

Bangkok, has some slow traffic, it is a big city, this is normal. However, if you really want to see bad management of traffic come to Manila, they seem to have no systems, just roads.

I always remember Jakarta, Indonesia, I was on the back of a Motorcycle Taxi, and we were in a traffic jam. When motorcycle cannot move, this means a horrendous traffic jam. The same problem is in Bali, Indonesia also.

I really wish people would look at countries, take great care before they write or make shows about a problem of 20 years ago.

There are still people telling me,“You cannot take their photo; they feel you are stealing their soul.”

Crap, this problem stopped 10-20 years ago also, now you are just being an annoying tourist. I am always amazed when BBC, CNN, large newspapers propagate idea that are way past reality.

Making Backpack PatternsI have entered about 10 Backpack Factories around the world that make runs of less than 1000 bags. They all have about the same methods of making the Backpacks, they first make a pattern.

I am taking this hard cardboard and cutting the patterns for the Windmill Backpack. I have 10 drawing, all in great detail. I have made 11 sample bags before; communicating with the workers is close to impossible so in reality, you need to either cut the patterns or make a sample. There is normally one fabric cutter or master cutter who could make a back from scratch, but the design would not be the same as your drawing.

However, this is the problem, they normally just copy bags, there are very few original designs made, a good copy, with a few modifications. There are few original designs made, more or less just modifications of other designs.

I will take this cardboard to the factory for them to use to cut the fabric for the Backpack. Making backpack patterns is not difficult if you are also a good drafter. I excelled in drafting in high school, and these skills are beneficial in making backpack patterns.

Engineering the backpack patterns, or engineering the bag so it functions is the challenge, not the drafting. There is about a 10-20 percent difference between my drawing and the actual pattern. As I make the backpack pattern, I do some minor revisions to adapt to my eyes. What seem logical on a computer graphic is not necessary logical when you see it, and when we make one sample, there will be some final revisions.

This backpack is more complicated than I think the factory has ever made, even though I saw at least 50 different models in their showroom.

So this shop looks a little like a home, well guess what, almost every factory I have ever entered looked a lot like a home also.

PURPOSE OF STUDYThe purpose was to know the lowest common denominators worldwide in the hopes of never being denied because of bag size. Because of this, height, width and depth dimensions were all arrived at independently.

H: 48 cm 18.90 inW: 34 cm 13.39 inD: 20 cm 07.88 in

19 x 13 x 8 inches or 48 x 34 x 20 Centimeters. (Andy inserted)

As for weight limitations, I came up with the following:

5 kg 11.02 lbs (a few)6 kg 13.22 lbs (several)7 kg 15.43 lbs (common)

I am using presently a 22 x 14 x 9 standard, however 22 x 14 x 8 would be more conservative. I have soft bags; I can stuff the bag into an area that does not allow hard luggage.

This number is conservative, but 19 x 13 x 8 inches, I doubt that this is enforced much, however it could be, the funny aspect is the majority of Airlines Pilots and Airline Attendants violate all this rules and carry too many bags too boot, not good examples for passengers.

I have contracted to have three packs made, one out of easy to find materials as a test run, and two out of the special materials I purchased. Semi-fun to negotiate these deals, then again this is just annoying.

The Women was born in the Philippines to I guess, Chinese parents and the husband came from China at age 17, a nice team and could communicate with China or Taiwan where many backpack materials are made.

It is always a push to call these businesses factories, more of a house with a lot of room, or maybe two houses in this case. What was impressive was the showroom; they must have about 50 different packs on display.

It was a good day, I think I am reaching the level of education where I know how to make a backpacks better than most.

We are proceeding by me cutting out the patterns or templates from hard cardboard, something like poster board. The pack is 8 major components, I will be sitting around in my room now for a few days cutting up cardboard and making a mess. I suppose I will make two so I have a pattern of my own, in the event the whole deal goes south.

More or less this is a Chinese Family operation whereby one person speaks Tagalog, and good enough English.

I have a Microsoft Word Database list of 889 concepts, parts, uses for the bag, and the problems with a backpack that I have been continually checking. I now have 10 separate 8.5 x 11 Paint Drawings of the various panels or sides of the Backpack.

I have been reviewing every survey submitted. I hope there will be many more people will submit, there are now 26 submissions. I will choose some a few people from this list to be Beta Testers whereby they will receive a free bag to use and keep. To be eligible, click here and complete the survey.Long-Term Traveler Backpack Design Survey

It is quiet obvious that some of the people do not separate or see the difference between travel and trekking. Anyway, I do this; the goal is to make a comfortable backpack that could be used for trekking. I would suspect it would only lose its hiking value after above five days, and then a normal hiking pack may be of more value.

I estimate for the six-month world traveler, the people actually could use a hiking pack for only about 10 days in the six months on average. This is not even a significant amount of time to influence the bag design towards Hiking, but I will include hiking aspects. They are easy to incorporate, less strict, however there is no way to make a good travel back as balanced as a bag that should be curved around the body, and have weight distribution areas specially designed for the body. A travel bag more or less has a carry on size 14 x 22 x 9 size that works for Airplanes, while weight distribution should be the goal of sizes of hiking backpacks.

I will go to the internet café soon, print out the 10 page at 5 pesos per page, then go to meet the Factory owner.

The test all said I do not have kidney problems, and I am happy, I would rather have an ulcer than Kidney problems.

I took extreme measures, a no excuse change in diet, I now do not eat processed foods, no coffee, sugar, food additive and spicy food, and I eat a very mundane and boring diet…

Vegetable, Fruits, Nuts and Chicken.

This diet is full of small exceptions, whereby it accommodates the real world. For example, I must eat; I must live in social world. If I am invited to a house, I must allow some small additions to food so I can eat. If the salt is added, I will still eat it, however I do not add salt

I do not get bent out of shape if I find they gave me Tang or an Orange drink and not real Orange juice. This diet has to accommodate real life, and I keep my intentions correct.

This stopped my symptoms pain in the side, a burning sensation, close to where the kidneys are located.

What happened when this started, I was in Mexico, went on a no food diet, close to a fast, just three pieces of bread per day. I was drinking about 8 glasses of coffee, maybe 16 cups of coffee. I became weak; there was a spot on my stomach skin.

I gave up this diet, went to a normal diet, and flew to Guatemala, hoping it would go away. While in Guatemala I made a 3 am trip to the common toilet, whereby I passed out and fell into the shower. My body was bubbling in this location; it was as if I could feel the blood moving.

Prior to all this, I was eating some dried milk, I love this stuff, I eat it with a spoon. I had a complete attack, I went to the doctor, they said I had high blood pressure, yes, but temporary. I geot some test, they said I have parasite, I take medicine and kill them. I get a test in Thailand and they say there are no parasites.

I discovered that milk is a problem for ulcers today.

Long story, but sometimes it is easier to test a physical problem by implementing the solution, or exacerbating the problem to make it reveals itself.

The solution to an Ulcer is to eat 6 times per day, disperse them, I suppose waking up at night an eating again would be good. I guess we put something in the stomach for the stomach acids to attack and not the lining of the stomach or intestines.

I came to Manila, the Supermarket is good, and it is extremely easy to eat vegetables and fruits. I wanted to lose weight; I want to get back down to proper weight. I stopped eating the nuts, full of fats, and reduce my food intake by about half. I am losing weight, but the pain has returned.

Ooops, Andy, willpower is great, but this is too much, you cannot just stop eating. A diet of Vegetable and Fruits, this seems too easy to digest; I need to go back to eating the oatmeal I had in Thailand.

The pain was almost zeros in Thailand; I was eating oatmeal, not really processed, whole in nature.

What is good, I read that bananas are good, not sure, but easy to buy bananas and have sitting around the room for a few days, I can eat at different times and give the stomach something to eat beside the stomach or intestines. I truly believe the problem is right as the digested food leaves the stomach in the intestines or colon.

Long and drawn out, but I am also presently on a 10 day medicine treatment to kill the bacteria Helicobacter pylori. Medicine in Thailand can be purchase over the counter, a Thailand Pharmacist outline the treatment.

Truly, a person should not diagnosis themselves, but then again, what if the doctors cannot understand English. The internet is a never-ending information sources. Although many people have no ability to make good choices, I do believe about 1 in 50 are capable of making good choices.

Strange as it sounds, but Travelers, the long-term types are normally capable of solving many problems that baffles the average person. Truly a MacGyver attitude is needed to travel the planet continuously, a good hands on, solving mechanical problems.

To say the least, going on strict diets does not seem like a good idea, my present extreme diet is going to adjust my weight, there is no doubt, this is a healthy way to eat, however I need to eat more, too much willpower does not help.